Multi-radio controller and methods for preventing interference between co-located transceivers

Abstract

Embodiments of a multi-radio controller and methods for preventing interference between co-located transceivers are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the multi-radio controller operates within a multi-radio device and is configured to cause a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver to transmit a triggering frame after an active period of a wireless wide-area network (WWAN) transceiver. The triggering frame indicates the duration of a transmission opportunity, which may be restricted to the time between active periods of the WWAN. In response to receipt of the triggering frame, the WLAN access point is configured to transmit a downlink data frame within the transmission opportunity.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. User Equipment (UE) comprising:
 a multi-radio controller for controlling a Wi-Fi transceiver and a LTE transceiver, the multi-radio controller configured to: 
 determine a duration of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) based on an active period interval of the LTE transceiver; 
 configure a triggering frame to indicate that the Wi-Fi transceiver is granting permission to an access point to send data in accordance with a reverse direction (RD) protocol, the triggering frame to indicate at least a duration of the TXOP; and 
 transmit the triggering frame within the TXOP immediately after an active period of the LTE transceiver, 
 wherein the duration of he TXOP is determined prior to configuration and transmission of the triggering frame. 
 
     
     
       2. The UE of  claim 1  wherein to configure the triggering frame, the multi-radio controller is arranged to set a Reverse Direction Grant (RDG) More PPDU bit of a control field in the triggering frame. 
     
     
       3. The UE of  claim 2  wherein the multi-radio controller is arranged to configure the Wi-Fi transceiver to operate in a power-saving delivery (PSD) mode during the active period of the LTE transceiver. 
     
     
       4. The UE of  claim 3  wherein as part of PSD mode, the multi-radio controller is arranged to configure the Wi-Fi transceiver to set a power saving (PS) bit in a null frame for transmission to the access point to indicate to the access point that the Wi-Fi transceiver is operating in the PSD mode, and
 wherein during PSI) mode, the access point is to refrain from transmitting downlink data frames to the Wi-Fi transceiver unless requested by the Wi-Fi transceiver. 
 
     
     
       5. The UE of  claim 3  wherein the multi-radio controller is arranged to cause the Wi-Fi transceiver to obtain the TXOP, the TXOP to occur during a transmission and reception free period between consecutive active periods of the LTE transceiver. 
     
     
       6. The UE of  claim 5  wherein during the active period of the LTE transceiver, the LTE transceiver is arranged to transmit and/or receive. 
     
     
       7. The UE of  claim 6  wherein the multi-radio controller is arranged to cause the Wi-Fi transceiver to receive a downlink data frame that is transmitted by the access point within the TXOP in response to receipt of the triggering frame. 
     
     
       8. The UE of  claim 7  wherein the multi-radio controller is arranged to cause the Wi-Fi transceiver to receive a block-acknowledge (BA) from the access point to acknowledge receipt of the triggering frame, the BA to be received prior to the downlink data frame, and
 wherein the RDG More PPDU bit, when set, indicates that an additional frame will follow the BA, the additional frame being the downlink data frame. 
 
     
     
       9. The UE of  claim 3  wherein the Wi-Fi transceiver and LTE transceiver are part of a physical layer of the UE and are coupled with two or more antennas configured for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications. 
     
     
       10. The UE of  claim 9  wherein the LTE transceiver is configured for orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communications with an enhanced Node B (eNB) during active periods of the active period intervals, and
 wherein the Wi-Fi transceiver is configured for orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) communications with the access point in accordance with a contention-based multiple-access technique. 
 
     
     
       11. A method performed by user equipment (UE) for controlling a Wi-Fi transceiver and a LTE transceiver, the method comprising:
 determining a duration of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) based on an active period interval of the LTE transceiver; 
 configuring a triggering frame to indicate that the Wi-Fi transceiver is granting permission to an access point to send data in accordance with a reverse direction (RD) protocol, the triggering frame to indicate at least a duration of the TXOP; and 
 transmitting the triggering frame within the TXOP immediately after an active period of the LTE transceiver, 
 wherein the duration of the TXOP is determined prior to configuration and transmission of the triggering frame. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein to configure the triggering frame, the method comprises setting a Reverse Direction Grant (RDG) More PPDU bit of a control field in the triggering frame. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein the method comprises configuring the Wi-Fi transceiver to operate in a power-saving delivery (PSD) mode during the active period of the LTE transceiver. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  wherein as part of PSD mode, the method comprises configuring the Wi-Fi transceiver to set a power saving (PS) bit in a null frame for transmission to the access point to indicate to the access point that the Wi-Fi transceiver is operating in the PSD mode, and
 wherein during PSD mode, the access point is to refrain from transmitting downlink data frames to the Wi-Fi transceiver unless requested by the Wi-Fi transceiver. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13  wherein the method comprises configuring the Wi-Fi transceiver to obtain the TXOP, the TXOP to occur during a transmission and reception free period between consecutive active periods of the LTE transceiver. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein during the active period of the LTE transceiver, the LTE transceiver is arranged to transmit and/or receive. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  wherein the method comprises configuring the Wi-Fi transceiver to receive a downlink data frame that is transmitted by the access point within the TXOP in response to receipt of the triggering frame. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17  wherein the method comprises configuring the Wi-Fi transceiver to receive a block-acknowledge (BA) from the access point to acknowledge receipt of the triggering frame, the BA to be received prior to the downlink data frame, and
 wherein the RDG More PPDU bit, when set, indicates that an additional frame will follow the BA, the additional frame being the downlink data frame. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13  wherein the Wi-Fi transceiver and LTE transceiver are part of a physical layer of the UE and are coupled with two or more antennas configured for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein the LTE transceiver is configured for orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communications with an enhanced Node B (eNB) during active periods of the active period intervals, and
 wherein the Wi-Fi transceiver is configured for orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) communications with the access point in accordance with a contention-based multiple-access technique. 
 
     
     
       21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations for controlling a multi-radio controller of user equipment (UE) having a Wi-Fi transceiver and a LTE transceiver, the operations to configure the UE to:
 determine a duration of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) based on an active period interval of the LTE transceiver; 
 configure a triggering frame to indicate that the Wi-Fi transceiver is granting permission to an access point to send data in accordance with a reverse direction (RD) protocol, the triggering frame to indicate at least a duration of the TXOP; and 
 transmit the triggering frame within the TXOP immediately after an active period of the LTE transceiver, 
 wherein the duration of the TXOP is determined prior to configuration and transmission of the triggering frame. 
 
     
     
       22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21  wherein to configure the triggering frame, the multi-radio controller is arranged to set a Reverse Direction Grant (RDG) More PPDU bit of a control field in the triggering frame,
 wherein the multi-radio controller is arranged to configure the Wi-Fi transceiver to operate in a power-saving delivery (PSD) mode during the active period of the LTE transceiver, 
 wherein as part of PSD mode, the multi-radio controller is arranged to configure the Wi-Fi transceiver to set a power saving (PS) bit in a null frame for transmission to the access point to indicate to the access point that the Wi-Fi transceiver is operating in the PSD mode, 
 wherein during PSD mode, the access point is to refrain from transmitting downlink data frames to the Wi-Fi transceiver unless requested by the Wi-Fi transceiver, and 
 wherein the multi-radio controller is arranged to cause the Wi-Fi transceiver to obtain the TXOP, the TXOP to occur during a transmission and reception free period between consecutive active periods of the LTE transceiver.